Samuel paeeott chandleb aatd james malloby chandlee



l suited for coupling cars of dierent height Ni'rnn 'raras Aram* trice.

SAMUELPARROTT CHANDLER AND JAMES MALLORY CHANDLER, OF LYXCHS LAKE, SOUTHCAROLINA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NoV 295,349, dated March18, 1884.

(No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that we, SAMUEL PIiRRor'r CHANDLER and J Mins M. CHANDLER,citizens of the United States, residing at Lynchs Lake, in the county of-Villiamsburg and State of South Carolina, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is aspecification.

Our improved coupling is especially adapt ed for freight-cars, and theimprovement consists in the combination of a draw-head provided with aninterior fixed catch, sloping` rearward and upward from the bottom frontedge thereof to receive the link, with a link-f guide pivoted to theunder side of the drawhead, and forming a prolongation of the inclinediront of the fixed catch, wherebyT the link is received upon the pivotedguide and directed upward and over the fixed catch to effect thecoupling. This construction is well and for directing the link in thecoupling action, although its position may bring its coupling end belowthe mouth of the drawhead. This combination, in effect, serves topractically extend the fixed sloping catch into a pivoted guide part forreceiving and direct* ing the link upon it, and renders the couplingautomatic without regard to the position of the link, thus avoiding theuse of devices for lifting the link in position for coupling and the useof the conplingpin.

For n ncoupling the link, a bent lifting-lever is pivoted in the side ofthe draw-head, and, extending into the month thereof behind the fixedcatch, is provided with a plate pivoted to its inner end upon which theinner end of the link-rests, and by which it is raised in a levelposition to allow it to pass over the fixed catch. This levelingplate ispivoted in the middle of its length to the upper side of the lever, andin depressing the outer end oi' the lever the pivoted pla-te will, byreason of the weight oi' the link, be raised in a horizontal position atright angles to the length of the link, and thus prevent itfrom cantingsidewise, but raise it level and in proper position to clear the upperend of the iixed catch. For locking the link within the draw-head, alever is pivoted in thetcpof the draw'head,

and, extending into the month thereof, bears against the rear upper edgeof theixed catch, and prevents the link escaping over the catch so longas the lever remains in its normal position.

Referring to the drawings, which represent a draw-head of a carconstructed with our iinproveinent, Figure l represents a front View,with the link removed; Fig. 2, central longitndinal sectional elevation,showing the link in position; Fig. 3, the saine, showing the link asraised in position to be removed from the mouth of the draw-head inuncoupling, and also showing the link asjust striking the lower edgeofthe guide and about to ride np the same. Fig. 4 is a detail enlargedview of the linklifting lever with its pivoted plate, and Fig. 5 across-section on the line .r w of Fig. 3.

A is the draw-head, with the usual or any approved form ofrdaring mouth,having cast or formed as a part thereof at the front bottom portion ofthe inout-h a hook or catch, B, and at the bottoni lugs or ears C,pivoted between which is the link-guide D, which consists of a broad,dat front portion, E, which extends from the lower front edge of themouth of the draw-head in a slanting direction outward and downward onthe sa me plane with the front inclined edge of the catch B.

Arranged beneath the end of the stein D of the link-guide, in a slot orrecess, E, formed in the bottom of the draw-head, is a platespring, E,which, pressing against the end of the link-guide, holds it in properposition.

F is the lock or stop to prevent the accidental escape of the link abovethe catch after it has once passed over the same, pivoted in a slot, f,in the top ofthe draw-head, and having an enlarged weighted end, F. Thepivot f of this link-stop is arranged slightly out of a vertical lineabove the inner vertical face of the catch B, so that the lower end ofthe stop will always rest against the edge of the catch, as shown inFig. 2, and thereby prevent the esca-pe of the link past the saine. Aspring, f, may be used for this purpose.

G is the link-raiser, pivoted in a slot, g, in the side of the drawhead,and extending into the mouth thereof behind the fixed catch. At theinner end of this link-raising lever is piv- IOC eas.

oted a platform or plate, I-I, having a free osl cillating movement onits pivot h, for the purpose as will hereinafter apppear. The face ofthe link-guide D and the front edge of the Xed catch B being on the sameinclined plane, Jthe guide in effect, therefore, forms a prolongation orextension of the catch, and is turned back ont ofthe way-made to fold,to prevent injury to the parts when the cars come together. By reason ofthe pivoted platform H on the end of the link-raising lever G, the linkis, while being raised, held in a proper horizontal position forclearing the hook without catching either of its sides in the end ot'the catch, which it would do were the end of the lever rigid. y

The link-guider is made to lit close against and around the lower frontedge of the drawhead, and is pivoted, as before explained, so as topermititto be turned back as the cars come Close together, and thusprevent injury to the same, as in Fig. 2. The spring E holds the guidein position after being forced back.

By reason of the long forward extension of the tlaring mouth ofthedraw-head, resulting from the guide D, a high and low car may be coupledautomatically together, and, entirely without the necessity of handlingthe coupling link to guide the same, this being accomplished by reasonofthe end of the link coming against the face of the guide and thusdirected upward and over the hook, behind which it drops and effects thecoupling of the cars. Should the forward movement of the cars continue,the ends of the guides on opposing cars coming toA gether, they arecaused to turn b ck, thus preventing injury to the same.

To uncouple the cars, the stop-lever F is pushed forward with one hand,while at the same time the link-raising lever G is pressed d ownward,which carries the link upward and permits it to escape over the catch.

rEhe parts of the herein-described coupling being few, they may be madestrong and durable; and because of the operating parts being mainlyinclosed within the mouth of the drawhead, they are in a measureprotected from accumulated ice and snow.

Separately, the catch of the draw-head over which the linkhooks incoupling the cars,and the link-guide hinged4 to the draw-head andextending in a downwardly-inclined position from the lower edge of thedraw-head mouth, to guide the link into the drawhead, are old; but thecombination of these two devices for the purpose described givesimportant advantages in their co-operation in coupling cars of differentheight without the use of the coupling-pin.

1. The combination, in a car-coupling,with a draw-head having a fixedvertical rearwardly-inclined catch, ofthe hinged link-guide extendingoutward and downward from the lower front edge of the mouth of thedrawhead, and on the same plane with the front edge ofthe catch, ashereinbefore described.

2. rEhecomhination,inacar-couplinghaving the fixed verticalrearwardly-inclined catch, of the link-lifter having a pivotedoscillating plate for lifting the link above the end of the catch andholding it in a straight position to effect this movement, as described.

3. The combination, in a car-coupling,with the draw-head formed with theAfixed vertical rearwardly-eXtending catch or hook, ofthe link-guideadapted to be turned back out of the way, and the locking lever or catchresting against the top end of the hook to prevent the escape ofthelink, as described.

4. The combination. in a car-coupling,with the drawhead formed with atixed vertical rearwardly-incliued catch or hook, ofthe pivotedlink-guide on the same plane with the catch or hook, locking-leverpivoted at the top of the draw-head, and vthe link-raising lever, withpivoted oscillating plate pivoted at the side ofthe draw-head, as hereindescribed and shown, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL PARROTT CHANDLER. JAMES MALLORY CHANDLER.

. fitnessesz S. M. AsKrNs, E. F. DoUGLAs.

